Panama court orders drug case defendant transferred from hospital to prison — The Rio Times
An appeals court in Panama has ordered businessman César Caicedo transferred from a hospital to prison in criminal proceedings concerning the alleged Operation Nodriza drug trafficking network. On September 28, judges ended his stay in a medical facility and ordered pretrial detention in a penitentiary institution, The Rio Times reports.
Caicedo is accused of conspiracy to engage in drug trafficking. He had been staying in hospitals since May 20 due to his health condition. The appellate panel unanimously upheld the prosecution's appeal, citing, among other things, an assessment by the state forensic institute Imelcf, which described the defendant's condition as stable.
Appeals court decision
The court concluded that the defense had not proven that Caicedo could not receive adequate medical care in prison. Drug prosecutor William Granados said the defendant should be immediately placed in a penitentiary institution and that the state is obliged to provide medical care to people in custody.
Earlier, on May 29, the appeals court revoked Caicedo's house arrest but allowed him to remain temporarily in a hospital for treatment of a heart condition. In mid-July, he was transferred from the public Santo Tomás Hospital to a private medical facility, and in August the court extended his hospital stay for another month. At that time, only Caicedo's son and lawyers were allowed to visit him, and the use of mobile phones was prohibited.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
Charges in the Operation Nodriza case
According to the prosecution, the Operation Nodriza investigation began in March 2023. Eight people were detained during raids in the provinces of Panama and Panama Oeste on December 3, 2025. The following day, Caicedo and seven other suspects were charged with conspiracy to engage in drug trafficking.
The prosecution describes Caicedo as the leader of a network that, it alleges, delivered shipments from Colombia by boat, concealed them in homes in Arraiján, and transported them abroad in modified vehicles. Investigators link the group to at least four drug seizures in 2023–2025 and said that more than two tonnes of drugs had been seized from the network in total.
The decision to transfer Caicedo to prison concerns only the preventive measure during the proceedings and is not a verdict. Caicedo has not been tried or found guilty.
